Every course syllabus is, in some sense, a contract between students and professor. Here you will find spelled out the terms that bind us, if not for eternity, then at least through the end of the semester.

First of all, let it be known that one of the signatories to this contract is Dr. Simon Richter,  whose office is generally located in 734 Williams Hall. His office hours are T from 5:00-6:00 and W from 1:00-2:00. If you wish to make an appointment call Martina Bale at 8-7332 or you can simply come by. Since he haunts his email this is often the best way to reach him. Send mail to srichter@sas.upenn.edu. Additional signatories to this contract are his demonic assistants, Emily Hauze (shrader@sas.upenn.edu) and Kerry Wallach (wallach@sas.upenn.edu). Emily's office is located in Williams Hall 7** and she has office hours W from 1-2 and by appointment. Kerry's office is 442 Williams Hall. He's there W from 1-2 and by appointment. You'll find Andrei in Williams 4** also on W from 1-2 and by appointment.

Every contract has its fine print. As they say, the devil is in the details. Here they are:

Assignments: There will be two three-page written assignments and one creative assignment during the course of the semester. In each case you'll be asked to write about one of the films we've discussed in response to a specific question. The first assignment is on Rosemary's Baby and will be due on Feb. 17 before your recitation begins. No late papers will be accepted. The second assignment is on Robert Johnson and will be due on April 7. The final assignment is in a more creative vein: adapt the legend of the devil's pact to a contemporary or historical situation or moral issue. Here there are no limits: you may choose to write it, film it, create it in hypertext with graphics--as you see fit and as your fancy leads you. This assignment can be submitted when you take your final exam. You'll find sample projects from past students (where are they now, one wonders? --surely in a better place) at this web site.

Recitations: This course has eight recitation sections meeting on most Fridays. These are designed to give you an opportunity to participate more fully in the conversation in small group settings. In order to assure informed participation, you will be asked to submit a minimum of eight substantive contributions to your recitation section discussion board over the course of the semester (minimum of 100 words). We will post a question or topic in connection with your preparations for recitation to get the conversational ball rolling. You can respond with your thoughts, ideas, and questions with regard to the film or work to be discussed before the recitation meets. We'll also maintain some open discussion forums. Your submissions, along with your attendance and involvement in the conversation, will make up your participation grade.

Examinations: This is where the devil gets her due. There will be a midterm and a final exam. See the Devil's Timetable for exact dates and times. The midterm will consist of identification questions and short answer questions. The final will be a little more substantial, but listen, the point of this is not to make you suffer, but to let you strut your stuff. You can find a study guide in the timetable. In each case I will be glad to run a voluntary review session for those who want to talk things over.

Grading: This is what it all comes down to, at least that's what they would have you believe. The two written assignments are worth 10 points each. The creative assignment is worth 10 points. The midterm is worth 25 points and the final is worth 30. Participation in the recitations is worth 15 points for a grand total of 100 points. You will in all cases be graded on your grasp of the issues, the cogency of your arguments and interpretations, and your originality of thought. It goes without saying that these depend on your reading/viewing/listening to the course material and your regularly attending class. We will not take attendance at the lectures, but because of the quirkiness of the material and the use of multi-media, there is inevitably a direct correlation between your rate of attendance and your midterm and exam results. It's also crucial that you keep up to date with the on-line syllabus.

Academic Integrity: You may expect the devil to smile on acts of academic dishonesty, but she doesn't. Enrollment in this course means that you agree to adhere to the code of academic integrity. This applies to cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty. If you are not familiar with Penn's policies, click here.

Feedback: We are very interested in your feedback. We will use a mid-term evaluation in order to get a sense from you as to how you think the course is going, but would welcome any suggestions and comments throughout the semester. Send us an email.